Apparatus for handling glassware



Feb. 13, 1951 E. CROOKS APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GLASSWARE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1946 jib/Hays Feb. 13, 1951 E. CROOKS APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GLASSWARE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 15 1946 m mm 1% Feb. 13, 1951 E. cRooKs APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GLASSWARE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb, 15, 1946 MN Q R g.

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Patented F eb. 13, 1951 UNI T ED STAT E S PAT E N T F F ICE APPARATUS. FOR) HANDLING GLAS SW ARE;

Edwardfirooks, Glensliaw, Pa... ApplicationFebrnary 15, 1946, Seria-I'NOL. 647,849.

(Cl; Elli-1.)

Claims. 1

M c-invention relatesto apparatus; for handling glassware and more particularly to devioescom calledistackers, for receiving and." picking uni-glassware... such as. bottles,v from. one. conveyor depositing them: on a. lehr conveyor. or the likain predeterminedpositions inrela-tion toeach other.

One: object of my invention is toprovide a stacker; for glassware-adapted;- to deposit the botties orthe-like picked upfroma conveyonbuck ing armsfonhandling the glassware, theangle of. oscillation whereof; is variable.

. Alfurther' object. of: the invention isto provide a: stacker; for glassware: having; one. or. two oscill'ating arms: for. handling the glassware; of variable: oscillating eapaicity the degree of: variation inthe; oscillatin' movement beingpredetermined.

Other objects. or my invention may appear. in the; following. specification: describing, my invention withreference to the-drawings'illustrating; a preferred; embodiment. of. my invention. however" to. be. understood that my inventionis not to: be limited or restricted tothe. exact construction or combination of parts described in the specification and shown inthe drawings,- but thatsuchxchangesand. modifications oan be. made which. falli within: the scope of. the claims appendedhereto.

Imthedrawingsza Eigure I is: an elevational view of a: stacker: for glassware according; to. my invention.

: Figureziszaztopplan View of the stacker. show-n in- FigurelL.

Figureifiis a. sectional view taken-on line 3-3 in. Figure lshowrrima larger scaleL-andillustrating a stacker: arm used in the Stack-en according totmy invention.

Figure 4 is a. sectional view of the stacker arm shownin' Figure 3 and thesupport' thereof partly show-nin elevation.-

- Figure 5' isase'ctionals view:takenon:line;5.-5 iii-Figural shownzina largenscalea Figure-6 isa longitudinalsectional view of the air valveregulatingthe operation of the: stack-er arm in longitudinalidirection:

Figure-=7 is a longitudinalasectional view of. the

It is Y 2; I'll acts as driving medium for: the transmission.

Adjacent. eachend of the platform ill a -bear ing frame. M'is fastened onto said platform by means of bolts [5. Each bearing frame It has on its. upper portion twobearings; i6. A main shaft. [.1 is rotatably' supported. in said bearings,- A shaft i8 forming a part ofv the transmission extends outside of the housing 12. A sprocket drive i9 connects the shafts H and. [8 so that themain shaft H- is driven. at: a predetermined speed by themotor- 13..

Each. bearingframe. li'has. a base 2.9: and: a: vertically extending: bearing: 2| formed on-each base. A. vertically arranged support shaft 22. is rotatably located ineachbear-ing 2| and a pinion 23 is slidably mounted on; each. shaitzfil. Each, pinion 23 hasahub fiextending downwardly and resting onzthe top surface of: the bearing. 21!. In eachshaft 22' a keyway 1s providedandascrew 2-6' in each hub- 24: extends into the corresponding keyway 25 so that each shaft 22. can bemoved axially independently. oft'he pinion23l thereon but v that the; rotary movement of said. pinion is imr parted to the, shaft.

Adjacent each bearing frame baselll'and'somewhat rearward thereof a pair of guide posts 21 extends upwardly from the platform Ill with which these posts may be formed integrally or to which they are, securely fastened. The posts of each pair are spaced'from eachlother and'in their upper. ends are coaxial holes provided to guide a bar 28 slid'ably'arran'ged therein; On the outer end' of each. bar 28 a rack 29 i'szformed' integrally therewith and the bars 28 are'so arranged that each rack meshes with theadjacent pinion" 23 Between each pair of'guide'posts 21 a stop-collar 30 is mounted" on each bar"2B'- and-secured in p0;- sition by means of a set'screw 31'. A spiral'spring 32 surrounds each bar between the" outer guide post z'landzthestop collared and urges theb'ar inwardly. On theinner'end of each-bar 2 8-, which extends beyond'the inner guide post 21-, a roller 33is rotatably mounted. On each of'two-horizontal shafts34 extending through the front wall of the transmission housing i 2 adjacent the end walls thereof a-cam35 its-rigidly mounted. Each cam has a" plurality of projecting portions cran gularly spacedlobesof diiferentradialextenta In the drawings three suchportions are shownz It is however, to be understood'th'at-anydesiredand practical number ofarms' may be.used.. I

The'sha'fts 35 are driven by the transmission in the=housing l2"in.2such2=a-'- manner that one of the ShaftSiIOfiatBSi'iII' clockwise and theotherin counterclockwise direction.

As 1 stated: above the springs 32 urge the bars 285 to. slide inwardlyz. Thereby the rollers: 33 i are kept in engagementwith the canis 35: These camszare arranged so-that when thepneroller 33-; is in contact with aprojecting portion. otthe corresponding cam, the other roller will be in engagement with the recessed portion between two adjacent projecting cam portions. It is to be noted that the projecting portions of each cam are of diiferent lengths.

Each bearing frame l4 has a horizontally extending member 36 on which an upwardly extending arm 31 is formed supporting the inner bearing I6. Each vertical shaft 22 extends rotatably through a hole in the corresponding horizontal member 36. A collar 38 is adjustably mounted on each vertical shaft 22 and is secured in adjusted position by a set screw 39 and a spiral spring 46 surrounds each vertical shaft'22 between the pinion 23 and the collar 38 urging the shaft upwardly. A cam 4| is adjustably mounted on the main shaft adjacent each end thereof, between the bearings IS on each frame l4 and directly above the vertical shaft 22. The collar 38 on each vertical shaft is adjusted so that the spring 46 will keep the upper end of the shaft in permanent contact with the corresponding cam 4|.

Each shaft 22 extends downwardly from the' frame base 26 and through a hole provided in the platform ID. The part 42 of each shaft 22 located below the platform I6 is shaped square and hollow to form a socket as indicated at 43 in Figure 1.

A square rod 44 is adjustably arranged in each socket portion 42 and is secured in adjusted position by a set screw 45.

To the lower end of each square rod 44 a cylinder 46 is pivotally linked. Each cylinder has a pair of upstanding lugs 41 between which the corresponding square rod 44 is located and a pin 48 extends through the lugs and the rod between them connecting the cylinder 46 pivotally to said rod. A turnbuckle 49 extends between each rod 44 and the cylinder 46 thereon to adjust the cylinder so that it is arranged in horizontal position.

In each cylinder 46 a piston 56 is slidably located, which has a forwardly extending piston rod each cylinder and piston assembly constituting an expansible chamber device for varying the distance between an article-grasping device at the outer end of thearm and the corresponding vertical shaft. The forward end of each cylinder 46 is reduced in diameter as shown at 52. reduced cylinder portion and has on its outer forward end a comparatively long square socket 53, which is either integrally formed therewith or firmly attached thereto. Adjacent its forward end each cylinder 46 is provided with vent holes 54. Each cylinder rod 5| is provided with a keyway 55 extending over the entire length of the rod from the piston 56 to the outer end of the cylinder 46. A screw 51 in the reduced cylinder portion 52 engages this keyway slidably and thereby prevents the piston from rotary movement in the cylinder, so that the sides of the square sockets 52 will always extend horizontally and vertically respectively.

A spiral spring 58 surrounds each piston rod 5| and abuts the forward cylinder wall with one of its ends and the piston with its other end urging the piston into rearward position as shown in Figure 4.

Each cylinder 46 has a cap 59 on its rearward end and a flexible tube 66 is air-tight connected therewith and communicates with the interior of the cylinder. Each flexible tube 66 leads to a tube 6|, which in turn communicates with an air Each piston rod 5| extends through said 4 cylinder valve 62 fastened by a bracket 63 to the underside of the platform l0.

As clearly shown in Figure 6 each of these valves has a cylinder 63 connected with a source of compressed air (not shown) by a pipe 64. The pipe 6| communicates with the cylinder on its outer end. The other end of the cylinder 63 is closed by a head 65 through which a piston rod 66 extends. A piston 61 is fastened on the end of the piston rod and has a hollow cylindrical body 68. A spiral spring 69 is arranged in the hollow piston engaging the piston with one of its ends and the end wall of the cylinder 63 with the other end, urging the piston toward the cylinder head 65. To facilitate this movement a vent hole 16 is provided in the cylinder wall adjacent the cylinder head.

Two levers H extend through slots 12 provided in the platform It! and are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on pins i3 extending through lugs 14 on the under side of the plat.- form In. The lower end of each of these levers is pivotally connected with the outer end of the piston rod 66. On the forward face of each projecting portion of each cam 35 a roller 15 is mounted adapted to engage the upper arm. of the corresponding lever 1|, thereby pivoting the lever about the pin 13 and forcing the piston '61 outwardly in the cylinder 63 against the pressure of the spring 69. In the wall of the piston an inlet port 16 is provided and arranged so that it will coincide with the air pipe 64, when the piston is moved outwardly by the lever l I, when the cam 35 is rotated by the motor l3. When a roller 15 releases the lever 1| the piston will be moved inwardly by the spring 69 and will close the inlet pipe 64, cutting off the flow of air.

As long as the air is flowing into the cylinder 63 of the valve 62 it will be conducted by the pipes 6| and the flexible tubes 60 into the cylinders 46 driving the piston 58, the piston rod 5| and the square socket 52 forward. When the flow of compressed air into the valve 62 is shut off as described above, the spring 58 urges the piston 50, piston rod 5| and socket 522 into re-l tracted position.- To make this possible a .bleed opening 11 is provided in the wall of. the :cylinder 63 of the valve 62 and a cooperating bleed opening 18 in the wall of the piston body 68. These .two openings are arranged so as to coincide with each other when the valve piston is moved. inwardly by the spring. The compressed air contained in the valve 62, pipe 6|, tube 66 and cylinder 46 can escape then through the bleed holes 11' and 18.

A square arm 19 fits slidably into each square socket 52 and a set screw 86 in one of the walls of the sockets is adapted to secure the arms in adjusted position. The outward end of each arm 19 is flattened as shown at 8| in Figure 3. On top of each square arm 19 a cylinder 82 is fastened by means of a bracket83. The cylinders 82 are closed at their inner ends and have caps 84 at their forward ends. In the cylinder wall an air inlet port 85 is provided adjacent the inner end of the cylinder and a flexible tube 86 communicates therewith. A piston 81 is slidably arranged in each cylinder 82 and a piston rod 88 extends forwardly therefrom and through the cap 84. A hollow cube 89 open fore and aft is slidably mounted on each square arm 19 and connected with the outer or forward end of the piston rod 88. Each slide cube has two laterally and horizontally extending fins 96', and on each of said fins a forwardly extending bar 9| is pivotally mounted.

6n each flattened portion M of the arms 19 a clamparm 92 is pivotally' mounted. Each clam-p arm has an arcuate forward portion 93 adapted te-engage approximately one-half of a bottleneck 94-. At its rear end each clamp arm has an outwardly extending lug 94, through the outer end of which a pivot pin 95 extends to connect the clamp. arm pivotally to the arm 19- as stated above. The bars 91 are pivotally connected with the clamp arms 92 so that a forward movement of the slide cube- 89 will pivot the clamp arms 92 into open position and a rearward movement of the cube will putsaid clamp arms into bottle clamping position.

Each flexible tube 86 is. connected to. a pipe 96 which in turn communicates with an air; valve 91.. Each air valve has. a cylinder 98;, which is firmly connected with one. of the horizontal members 36; of the bearing frames 14 by means of a. bracket: in a. vertical position. The pipe 96 connects. with the valve 9!v through an. inlet port, 99 in the. valve cylinder wall adjacent the lower end thereof. The, cylinder 98; is closed on the bottom and has a cylinder head I90 onits upper end. A piston IGI, with. ahollow body I02 is slidably located in each valve. cylinder 98. andhas a piston rod I93 thereon extending upwardly through the cylinder head: IIIIL.

A spiral spring I94 isv located in each valve cylind'enentering the hollow piston body I92 and abntting the piston and the bottom of the cylinder, thereby urging the piston upwardly in the cy inder.

On the; outer upper end of each piston rod I} aroller; I is rotatably mounted and directly about it a cam IDS is rigidly mounted on the main shaft; Il-, so that the roller I95 under the pressure of the spring I94 is in permanent contact with the cam I9Ii., The Valve cylinder 98 is provided with a venthole III! in its wall adjacent its upper end.

- Underneath the level of the lower rim of the piston body I02 an inlet port I98 is provided in the valve cylinder wall and a pipe I99 leading from a source of compressed air (not shown) (.lqmmunicates therewith.

When the cam I96 is positioned so that the valve piston is in the position shown in Figure '7 the inlet, port IDS is open and compressed air flowsthrough pipe I99, inlet port. I98, valve cylinden 98-, outlet port 99, pipe 96 and tube; 86 into the, cylinder 82 forcing the piston 81 and the slide cube 89 connected therewith forwardly whereby the clamps 93 will'be opened as described above. To make the forward movementof the pistonsal inthe; cylinders 82 possible a venthole H0 is provided in the cylinder wall adjacent the cylinder head 84. When the cam IDS is rotated in position to force the valve piston I9I downward in cylinder 98. theinlet port will be closed by said piston and the flow of compressed air shut off.

A spiral spring III surrounds the piston rod 88 between the piston 87- and the cylinder head 84 urging the piston and all parts connectedtherewith t0. move into retracted position, whereby the clamps 93. will be closed. To enable the spring III to operate a bleed hole I I2 is provided in the wall of the valve 91 which normally is covered by the valve piston I02. There is however, a second bleed hole II3 provided in the wall of the valve piston body I92 which will coincide with the bleed hole IIZ when the cam I05 forces the piston downward. Then the com- 6: pressed air back of the piston $1 canescape and spring H I can operate as described above.

When the motor drives the transmission (not shown) thecams 35 will rotate and the projecting portions of thecams: will engage the rollers 33 on the bars 28 andforce the latter to slide out wardly. Since the racks 29 are formed integrally with said bars and are in mesh with the pinions 23 these pinions and the vertical shafts and all parts connected' therewith will rotate, or pivot about the axes of the vertical shafts. The degree. of rotation depends on the length of the longitudinal movement of the rack, and that in...turn depends; on the size of the projections. of the; cams 35 sothat the degree of rotation can be predetermined selectively. 'lhe springs 32 will return the bars 28 into normal position, and. will thereby rotate the shafts 22 in the opposite d i rection.

The above description. shows clearly how the stacker according tomy invention. operates. When themotor i3. is started, the shaft If? will position the cams 4ft sothat the springs. 49 lift the shafts llZ- and the parts. attached theretoi up. Atthesame. time cams (i5 will operate. the; racks- 29a to pivotthe bottle. engaging. mechanisms rearward in Figures 1 and 2. Air valves 62- will operate to. extend the sockets 53; on the cylinders al and air valves 31 will open the. clamps. 93:. Then. the cams 4 t will force the. whole apparatus downward, the: clamps; will close about. thenecl of apiece of glassware, the apparatus will start tov lift and swingforward to deposit, and. release. the. glassware on a; selected place.

In the present. embodiment the glassware. will. be placed. in six rows. There. are two; stackerarmsand the control cams. have. each three pro-- jecti'onsof selected different length, sothateach arm will execute oscillations; through three. dif. ferent. predetermined degrees and deposit the; glassware in three: rows onthe. lehr conveyor;

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure. by Letters: Patent; is:.

1. In glassware transferring mechanisn1 ope-r"- tive to pick upglassware articles at one locationand arrange such articles: ina predetermined: manner in anotherlocationand including a sup-. port, a substantially" vertical shaft journaled' in said support, a substantiallyhorizontal arm sup-- I portedat one end bysaid shaft, andarticle grasping means at the end of: said arm opposite said shaft; means operative to impart oscillating movement of different predetermined angular extent to said arm' comprising a rotatable, multilobed cam, cam-driving means carried by said support, and rack andpinion meansroperatively: connecting said cam with said shaft, and means impartingverticalmovement to said" arm during oscillating movements thereof comprising asubstantially horizontal shaft journaled in said support above said substantially vertical shaft, means drivingly connecting said horizontal shaft with said-cam-drivingmeans, a cam on said horizontal shaft contacting the upper. end of said vertical shaft; and spring means operatively connected between said vertical shaft and said sup port resiliently maintaining the upper end of said vertical shaft in contact with said camon said horizontal shaft: r 2. In glassware transferring mechanism operative to pick up glassware articles at one location and arrange such articles in a predetermined manner in another location and including a support, a substantially vertical shaft journaled in said support, a substantially horizontal arm supported at one end by said shaft, and articlegrasping means at the end of said arm opposite said shaft; means operative to impart oscillating movement of different predetermined angular extent to said arm comprising a rotatable, multilobed cam, cam-driving means carried by said support, and rack and pinion means operatively connecting said cam with said shaft, and means operative to vary the distance between said vertical shaft and said article-grasping means comprising an arm for said grasping means, expansible chamber means operatively interposed between said shaft and said arm to move'said grasping meansaway from said shaft upon ad- 4 mission of pressure fluid thereto, spring means operatively associated with said expansible chamber means to move said article-grasping means toward said vertical shaft upon release of fluid under pressure from said expansible chamber means, a pressure-fluid conduit con' nected with said expansible chamber means, a,

control valve interposed in said conduit and having a control lever thereon, and means on said multi-lobed cam operatively'engaging said valvecontrol lever to move said grasping means relative to said vertical shaft in timedrelationshi to oscillating movements of said arm.- 3; In a glassware transferring mechanism operative to pick up glassware articles at one location and arrange such articles in a predetermined manner in another location and including a sup port, a substantially vertical shaft journaled in said support, a substantially horizontal arm supand each of saidaclamp arms to move said clamp.

arms toward and away from each other upon movement of said slide along said arm, an expansible chamber device carried by said arm and operatively connected with said slide, a pressurefiuid conduit connected with said expansible chamber device, a control valve operatively interposed in said conduit and having a control member extending therefrom, a substantially horizontal shaft journaled in said supportabove said substantially vertical'shaft, a cam on said horizontal shaft controlling vertical movement of said vertical shaft, and a second cam on said horizontal shaft engaging said valve-control member to operate said valve in timed relationship with the vertical movements of said substantially vertical arm-carrying shaft.

4. Glassware transferring mechanism operative to pick up glassware articles at one location and arrange such articles in a predetermined manner in another location and including a support, a substantially vertical shaft journaled in said support, a substantially horizontal arm supported at one end by said shaft, and means carill) ried' by said support and operatively connected with said shaft to move said arm through a range of angular movements between said locations and, impart vertical movement to said arm in timed relationship; to-the angular movements thereof; wherein saidhorizontal arm comprises a cylinder secured to said vertical shaft, a piston reciprocal in said cylinder, a piston rod extendingfrom' said. cylinderand provided at its outer end with an=elongated socket, an arm member'ads justably'secured in said socket, a pair of clamp arms on the outer end of said arm member, ex-;

pansible chamber means carried by said arm member operative to open and close said clamp arms, and spring means operatively connected between-said piston rod and said cylinder resiliently urging said piston rod to retracted position within said cylinder said cylinder, piston and spring being operative to vary the distance between said vertical shaft and said clamp arms upon admission of pressure fluid to, and release; of such fluid from said cylinder.

5. In glassware transferring mechanism opera 7 tive to pickup glassware articles from one location'and arrange s'a-id articles at an adjoining location and including a support, a substantially vertical, oscillating shaft journaled in said support, an arm mounted at onelend on the upper portion of said shaft and provided at its opposite end with article-grasping means movable in substantially horizontal are from one location to the other; means operative to move said arm" through successively varying arcs to place said articles ina predetermined arrangement at one of said locations'saidmeans comprising a powerdriven shaft journaled on said support, acam on said shaft having a plurality of angularly spaced lobes of different radial extent, rack means slidably mounted on said support and lon gitudinally movable by said cam lobesfa pinion onsaid shaft'meshing with said rack means to convert longitudinal movement of said rack means into oscillating movements of said shaft, and means operative to vary the distance of said article-grasping means from said shaft comprising an expansible chamber device included'in said arm and operatively connected to said grasping means to move said grasping means longitu dinally of said arm, a control valve pneumatically connected between said expansible chamber device and a source of fluid under pressure, a control arm carried by said valve, and means on said cam operatively engageable with said valve control arm to vary the distance of said grasp in means from said shaft in accordance with movements of said shaft by said cam lobes.

EDWARD CROOKS.

REFERENCES orrEn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 315,270 Fowler Apr. 7, 1885 1,974,837 Shillinger et al. Sept. 25, 1934 Bridges Oct. 21, 1941 

